Road maintenance machine



May 17, 1938- c. G. ANDERSON RAD MAINTENANCE MACHINE original Filed Nov.` 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS May 17, 1938-` c. G. ANDERSON 'l ROAD MAINTENANCE MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 Ressued May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFrlcE N0. 539,958, May 25, 1931.

Application for reissue November 29, 1937, Serial No. 177,081

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in road maintenance machines, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which is relatively cheap to build but which will keep the road in better condition than the ordinary drag.

A further object is to provide a device having a cutting blade that can be brought quickly to a predetermined position or raised therefrom atA will.

A further object is to provide a device in which the inequalities in the road may be readily removed due to the provision of scraper bars in advance and to the rear of a cutter so that, even if the forward scraper bar should ride over irregularities, the latter will be cut by the cutter bar and spread by the rear scrape-r bar.

Other objects and advantages will appeal in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application., in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the device shown in Figure l,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional de-tail view take-n along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and i Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section view taken along the lines 6 6 of Figure 2.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a pair of side members such as those shown at I and 2. As Will be seen from the drawings these bars are made of channel iron. E'ach of these side members is curved at its rear end as shown at I and 2', respectively, and has a downwardly inclined front portion. Secured to the ends of the curved portions I and 2 is a scraper bar 3 which is also made of channel iron and which is held in position by means of plate-s 3X. The ends I and 2 are cut oil so that when the supporting bar 3 is placed against these ends the scraper bar is forwardly inclined.

'I'he front ends of the bars I and 2 are similarly cut to receive a front supporting scraper bar 4 which is held by plates 41. The front scraper bar is forwardly inclined and both the front and rear scraper bars are disposed so that one end is in advance of the other, see Figure l. Brace rods 5, 6, l, and 8 are provided for rigidly holding the side members in position.

Secured to the curved portion. I is a hinge plate- 9 having a forked end arranged to receive a connector plate I0 to which is secured a bar II having a connecting means I2 at its end. A similar arrangement is secured to the companion sidemember. The connecting means I2 are rmly secured to a curved cutter bar or blade I3. 'I'his cutter bar extends substantially parallel with the front and rear scraper bars as shown in Figure 1.

In order to provide for raising and lowering of the cutter bar, I make use of an arrangement which is secured to each of the side members. A description of one will sulice for both. This consists of a pair of plates I4 secured to the side member I between which is pivotally mounted a block I5 having an opening therethrough for receiving the shank of a screw I6. The shank is provided with stop members Il so as to permit rotation of the shaft of the screw. The end of the latter passes through a threaded block I8 which is carried by a pair of bell crank levers I9. These levers are pivoted on a pin or bolt 2U which passes through a plate 2| and through the Wall of the side I. The ends of the bell crank levers are pivotally connected at 22 by means of links 23 to the connector portion I2. It will be understood that a similar raising or lowering means for the cutter is disposed on the side 2.

An adjusting and tightening means is provided for each end of the cutter bar. This consists of a yoke 24 which straddles the side member such 3 as that shown at I and which is provided with a screw 25 that bears on the upper edge oi' the channel iron side I. This yoke is fastened to the Connecting member I2 at 26 as are the links 23.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation. thereof may be readily understood. i

The device is designed to be used in the manner of a drag. In the form here shown, it is not provided with Wheels, the front and rear scrapers Il and 3 serving as road contacting supports for the machine. To this end forwardly extending rods 2l are provided which are secured to a draft ring 28, these bars being attached to the forward scraper bar. 'I'he handles of the' adjusting screws I6 are turned so as to swing the cutter bar I3 on its pivots to the desired position which is just clear of the ground when the front and rear scraper bars are on a. smooth surface, and the handles of the screw 25 are then turned to bring the base portion of each screw 25 tightly against its respective channel arm I and 2 to prevent chattering and play of the parts. Now when the device is drawn along a road with ruts or other inequalities, the forward scraper bar will tend to smooth these ruts off and to pass the dirt or rocks which have accumulated in front of it from the side I toward the side 2. It frequently happens that the scraper bar will meet some obstacle such as a slight rise in the ground which will tend to lift the scraper bar so that it may ride over it to some extent and then settle down when the obstruction has been passed. This same obstruction, however, when it reaches the cutter bar, will be cut off and the cut portions will be shifted toward the side so as to fill up any of the wheel tracks or depressions. The distribution of the material is further facilitated by the rear scraper bar so that when the machine has passed a given point the road is fairly smooth.

In going over a hillock, or mound or'other obstruction it may be necessary to raise the cutter and this is done by means of the screws I6. The latter may be turned very rapidly so as to lift the ends of the cutter and then when the obstruction is passed, the screws may be turned quickly to lower the cutter but it cannot be lowered beyond the point set by the adjusting screws 25. The latter, therefore, serve as a gauge to permit the quick raising and lowering of the cutter blades and the accurate adjustment and readjustment. This is of prime importance in working upon the roads because without the adjusting screws considerable time would be wasted in endeavoring to locate the cutter blade at the proper position. It will be noted that .although the cutter blade is moved the scraper blades remain in contact with the road at all times, thus supporting the cutter.

The device is simple in construction but is made rigid to stand wear and the channel bars are of suicient weight to keep the machine on the road and to provide a device which will smooth oil irregularities rather than to ride over them.

The links 23l may be pivotally secured to the connector portion I2 by a pin 26. The yoke is fastened to the connecting member I2 at 26 as are the links 23.

It will be noted that the base portion of the screw 25 abuts the channel arm side I in such a manner that the blade I3 is prevented from being lowered below a predetermined point. This limitation prevents the blade from sinking into depressions in the road and bouncing up again as it comes in contact with the higher portion of the road. I have found that this arrangement prevents the blade from chattering and making transverse ridges across the road. 'I'he chattering of the blade places the entire structure under such strains and stresses that the useful life of an ordinary road maintenance machine is greatly shortened.

I claim:

l. A road maintenance machine comprising a frame consisting of a pair of parallel side members, each of said side members being curved downwardly and forwardly at its rear edge, a scraper bar secured to the forwardly curving portions and being inclined `forwardly from the vertical, said side members being inclined downwardly at their front ends, a scraper bar secured to the front ends and being inclined forwardly from the vertical, said front and rear scraper bars being in parallel relation and one end of each of said scraper bars being disposed in advance of the other end, a cutter bar disposed between said scraper bars and in parallel relation therewith, each end of said cutter bar having secured thereto an arm, each of said arms being pivotally connected to the respective side members at the curved portions thereof, a yoke straddling each of said side members and being pivotally connected to an arm, each of said yokes bearing a screw having engagement with the upper edge of its respective side member for adjusting the cutter bar, a bell crank lever carried by each of said side members, links connecting said bell crank levers to said arms, a threaded block carried by each of said side members, a bearing block carried by each of said brackets, and a screw passing through each bearing block 'whereby an auxiliary raising or lowering means is provided for said cutter bar.

2. A road maintenance machine comprising a pair of parallel side members, means for securing the side members together, one of said side members being disposed in advance of the other, a rear scraper bar secured to the rear ends of said side members and being inclined forwardly from the vertical, a front scraper bar secured to the front ends of said side members and being inclined forwardly from the vertical, said scraper bars being parallel with one another, a cutter bar disposed between the scraper bars, means for raising or lowering each end of said cutter bar, and means additional to the raising and lowering means for adjustably determining the extreme position to which the cutter bar maybe lowered.

3. A road maintenance machine comprising a pair of parallel side members, one of said side members being disposed in advance of the other, a rear scraper bar rigidly secured to the rear ends of said side members, a front scraper secured to the front ends of said side members, said scraper bars being parallel, a cutter bar disposed in parallel relation with said scraper bars between the latter, means for raising and lowering each end of said cutter bar, and means additional to the raising and lowering means for adjustably determining the extreme position to which the cutter bar may be lowered.

4. A road maintenance machine comprising a pair of parallel side members, means for securing the side members together, one of said side members being disposed in advance of the other, a rear road contact support secured to the rear ends of said side members, a front road contact support secured to the front ends of said side members, a cutting blade disposed between said road contacting supports, means for raising and lowering each end of said cutter blade to a predetermined position of adjustment, and means in addition to the said raising and lowering means for tightening and locking the said raising and lowering means after its movement in adjustment of said cutter blade.

5. A road maintenance machine comprising a pair of parallel side members, means for securing the side members together, two road contacting supports connected to said side members, and maintaining them above the road surface, a cutter bar adjustably supported from said side member and means for raising and lowering each end of said bar and means in addition to said raising and lowering means for securing said cutter bar in such raised or lowered position.

6. A road maintenance machine comprising a pair of side members, means for connecting the side members, a pair of road contacting assemblies connected to said side members, and maintaining them above the road surface, a cutter bar adjustably supported from said side mem'- bers and means for raising and lowering each end of said bar and means in addition to said raising and lowering means for securing said cutter bar in such raised or lowered position, said raising and lowering means comprising bell crank levers, each pivotally supported from one of said side members, said securing means comprising members connected each to said cutter bar, and each provided with means for raising it and to exert through it, a back pressure on said raising and lowering means.

CARL G. ANDERSON. 

